Decorative light strings, as this term is used herein, comprise a plurality of lampholders connected together by electrical conductors in a flexible string. The lampholders include an insulating body portion having a socket opening defining an axial direction for receiving a lamp therein. One such exemplary lampholder and light string is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,409 (Maddock) the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Various means are known or have been proposed for retaining the lampholders in detachable position on support elements. Where the support element is thin and elongated in a direction generally orthogonal to the axis of the lampholder, clip means is used. The clip means typically includes a pair of stiffly resilient, mutually opposed jaws which are rooted to the body of the lampholder, to permit the lampholder to be attached anywhere along the support element. Lampholders incorporating this type of clip means are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,443 to Koehler, commonly assigned herewith.
In accordance with a second method, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,451 to Longo, the lampholders are attachable to support elements located at predetermined spots on a support structure. This method of attachment necessitates the use of a two part snap connector, the one part (a base) being permanently secured to the support structure at the predetermined spot, the other part being secured to the lampholder, normally being integrally formed therewith.
The clip means described in the first of the above mentioned methods is not amenable for use with the spot attachment method, and vice versa.
There is no interchangeability with the various two part connectors used in the spot attachment method; accordingly, the lampholders of one manufacturer are unlikely to be of use with the base connectors of another manufacturer.
It is an object of this invention to provide improved lampholders and festive light strings incorporating such lampholders which may be attached to elongated support elements or spot support elements as desired.
It is another object of this invention to provide improved lampholders of the foregoing nature which are adapted for use with spot support base elements which are of a ubiquitous, non-proprietary nature.